One More Reason Not To Throw A Tantrum

My 4.0 team played last night. I wasn't there. But I know what you're thinking: "Cindy, was there any drama?" You betcha!

One of my doubles teams had won the first set. They managed to break at 4-4 and were getting ready to serve out the match.

The reason for the break was that one opponent -- let's call her Natasha -- hit a shot well long. Disgusted with herself, Natasha boiled over in rage, picked up a ball and sent it whizzing over to the other side as hard as she possibly good.

Unfortunately, Natasha hadn't realized her partner was right next to her. Her racket nailed her partner directly in the face.

I am told the wailing from Natasha's partner was so loud and so long that every person in the bubble and the two staffers dropped everything to attend to her or gawk. Eventually, ice was administered to a huge bruise over the lady's eye and a retirement was declared. Natasha's partner drove herself home, with one of my players following her to make sure she didn't veer off the road.

The moral of the story: If you're going to behave like a toddler, check your surroundings carefully first.

I have a lot of sympathy for Natasha's partner. My brother caught me just above the eye with the follow-through on an overhead once (low lob that both of us went for initially; I hit the deck at the last second, trying to get out of the way).

Even though the bottom of the follow-through on an overhead is reasonably slow, it still left a lump. I can only imagine the lump Natasha's partner got.

I am still having trouble visualizing this. How can Nuts hit someone on the face with a racket without facing her? You mean to say the victim was looking at Nuts while standing within striking distance, Nuts did not notice it and swung the frame into her face thinking that part of space was empty.

I am still having trouble visualizing this. How can Nuts hit someone on the face with a racket without facing her? You mean to say the victim was looking at Nuts while standing within striking distance, Nuts did not notice it and swung the frame into her face thinking that part of space was empty.

It does not add up.

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You'd be surprised at what Murphy's Law can produce sometimes. My brother and I were palying golf in college once at about a beer per hole pace. On about the 6th or 7th hole, I was standing exactly at the level of the tee as he was teeing off, and he hit it directly 90* sideways and hit me square in the side of the face. I remember thinking right before he teed off that I should take a step back, but then I looked and saw that I wasn't actually in front of the tee so there is no way he could possibly hit me. I was really lucky he didn't hit my orbital bone or break my cheekbone, but as it was, he just left a huge welt that became a talking point at the party at his frat later that night. I didn't actually feel any pain until the next day.

You'd be surprised at what Murphy's Law can produce sometimes. My brother and I were palying golf in college once at about a beer per hole pace. On about the 6th or 7th hole, I was standing exactly at the level of the tee as he was teeing off, and he hit it directly 90* sideways and hit me square in the side of the face. I remember thinking right before he teed off that I should take a step back, but then I looked and saw that I wasn't actually in front of the tee so there is no way he could possibly hit me. I was really lucky he didn't hit my orbital bone or break my cheekbone, but as it was, he just left a huge welt that became a talking point at the party at his frat later that night. I didn't actually feel any pain until the next day.

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That is a strange coincidence, but still in the category of low probability mishits.

In this case, someone swung the racket into the face of someone looking back at them and standing close. At least if the ball was aimed somewhere else and hit the face, I can understand - it would be like your example. Here the ball went correctly towards the opponents without hitting her, yet the racket got her.

I think it must be on the follow thru and the lady was on one side of Nuts. That is the only explanation.

^^^^^^ To those wondering how this could have happened, just read the OP. This was not during the course of a point, this was after the point, when Nuts picked up a ball and teed off on it in a rage. Perhaps her partner was approaching her to say something after the point, or whatever; often dubs partners get together between points. So her partner was close by, Nads was not paying attention, and... smack!

^^^^^^ To those wondering how this could have happened, just read the OP. This was not during the course of a point, this was after the point, when Nuts picked up a ball and teed off on it in a rage. Perhaps her partner was approaching her to say something after the point, or whatever; often dubs partners get together between points. So her partner was close by, Nads was not paying attention, and... smack!

My 4.0 team played last night. I wasn't there. But I know what you're thinking: "Cindy, was there any drama?" You betcha!

One of my doubles teams had won the first set. They managed to break at 4-4 and were getting ready to serve out the match.

The reason for the break was that one opponent -- let's call her Natasha -- hit a shot well long. Disgusted with herself, Natasha boiled over in rage, picked up a ball and sent it whizzing over to the other side as hard as she possibly good.

Unfortunately, Natasha hadn't realized her partner was right next to her. Her racket nailed her partner directly in the face.

I am told the wailing from Natasha's partner was so loud and so long that every person in the bubble and the two staffers dropped everything to attend to her or gawk. Eventually, ice was administered to a huge bruise over the lady's eye and a retirement was declared. Natasha's partner drove herself home, with one of my players following her to make sure she didn't veer off the road.

The moral of the story: If you're going to behave like a toddler, check your surroundings carefully first.

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Happened to me a couple weeks ago!
In mixed doubles. My return of serve went to the net player. This opponent popped the ball up. I was at the baseline (as I had just returned serve), and came sprinting in as it looked as if the ball might make it over the net.
The ball hit the tape and popped back on their side. The opponent (the woman who was at the net) swung as hard as she could at the ball crushing it. Unfortunately, I was just a couple feet away on the other side of the net, having sprinted in to get the ball that I thought might drop on our side.
Ball hit me right above the eye. Gorgeous shiner.

Happened to me a couple weeks ago!
In mixed doubles. My return of serve went to the net player. This opponent popped the ball up. I was at the baseline (as I had just returned serve), and came sprinting in as it looked as if the ball might make it over the net.
The ball hit the tape and popped back on their side. The opponent (the woman who was at the net) swung as hard as she could at the ball crushing it. Unfortunately, I was just a couple feet away on the other side of the net, having sprinted in to get the ball that I thought might drop on our side.
Ball hit me right above the eye. Gorgeous shiner.

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Can I point out the obvious 3 ways that "IT" didn't happen to you a couple weeks ago, but rather something totally different?

I am still having trouble visualizing this. How can Nuts hit someone on the face with a racket without facing her? You mean to say the victim was looking at Nuts while standing within striking distance, Nuts did not notice it and swung the frame into her face thinking that part of space was empty.

It does not add up.

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As I said, I wasn't there, but the players who were there told and re-told the story in email afterward, so it definitely happened.

I imagine that the point ended. It was time to change ends. Natasha's partner comes over to offer condolences on the error, or to consult on strategy.

Natasha is in the deuce court, so partner is approaching from behind. Natasha picks up a ball, and partner figures she is going to hold it and keeps coming. Natasha winds up and blasts her forehand, still facing away from her partner. The follow-through catches partner in the face.

I have had partners come a little closer than they should when I was sending a ball back over, but I've never hit anyone. Then again, I've never taken a full cut, either.

Happened to me a couple weeks ago!
In mixed doubles. My return of serve went to the net player. This opponent popped the ball up. I was at the baseline (as I had just returned serve), and came sprinting in as it looked as if the ball might make it over the net.
The ball hit the tape and popped back on their side. The opponent (the woman who was at the net) swung as hard as she could at the ball crushing it. Unfortunately, I was just a couple feet away on the other side of the net, having sprinted in to get the ball that I thought might drop on our side.
Ball hit me right above the eye. Gorgeous shiner.

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Differences:

1) The ball was in play in your example & the ball was dead in Cindy's
2) Your opponent was the one that swung & Cindy's example was a partner swinging
3) You were struck by a ball whereas Cindy's teammate was struck by her partnerS racquet

1) The ball was in play in your example & the ball was dead in Cindy's
2) Your opponent was the one that swung & Cindy's example was a partner swinging
3) You were struck by a ball whereas Cindy's teammate was struck by her partnerS racquet

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They hit the ball, which hit their side of the net and bounced back on their side. The ball was therefore DEAD.

My point was that a player's stupidity in taking their frustration out on the ball caused an injury to their opponent (me). Not that I had a direct and perfect 1-1 correlation in experiences, but that I could relate.